[JKerstinJ]

I am 5'3" tall and driving the Burgman 650. I would like to look completely over the windscreen. Now I am looking right at the top edge and I hate that. I live in South Florida and I like the wind I get from the shorter screen on my other scooter, a Vespa ET4. I look just over the top, the screen goes to my chin. I drive the Vespa at 65 MPH and my head feels just fine. Sometimes I wear an open face helmet and other times I wear a full face helmet, usually during cooler weather.

Has anyone cut down the stock screen? Should I consider getting a Clearview with vent? Can you get a short Clearview or cut the tall down? The Burgman will be used for touring, will cutting the windscreen be a mistake? I also use an Airhawk seat pillow for long rides. This lifts me about one inch. I don't like to use it all the time because it makes it harder for me to put my feet on the ground. OH, the problems of being vertically challanged :?

Janine

 

[ted clement]

Janine, if its the process of cutting off the windshield that concerns you, it is an easy job for anyone confortable using an electric jig saw. I made two cuts on my GIVI yesterday, the first being too high. I used a real fine tooth blade...prob 30 teeth or more, some wide tape over the part of the windshield not being cut...this is to keep the metal slider part of the jig saw from scratching your windshield. I cut mine fairly straight, using the edge of the tape for a guide, and only rounded the ends a little, which I eyeballed and marked with a pen. Cut at medium to slow speed. Afterwards, if you have a vibrating sander, put some 150 grit in it and sand the flat edge. If not, wrap the sandpaper around a flat stick...a paint stirring stick will work...and sand till you have a nice smooth edge. Mine came our really well and took less than 10 min per cut to include sanding.

I put an old blanket over the 400 and used it for a saw horse. Worked great and was easy to manage without the WS slipping while cutting.

Have found it much more satisfactory for me by being able to just barely look over the top. You will get a bit more wind around the head, but I find that a good tradeoff by not having to look thru the WS. At moderate speeds I can wear an open face helmet, but find that for extended riding, or interstate riding, a helmet with faceshield is best.

 

[Randy]

If your not happy now then try cutting the stock shield down, you really have very little to lose.
If you are unhappy with the way it turns out you can contact Clearview and talk with them, they can cut you a windshield made for your height..
If you do decide to cut remember it's a lot better to have to make two or three cuts to get it right.
cut to much the first time and it's all over.
By the way if your careful you can cut without taking the windshield off.

 

[seatec]

When i cut mine i put masking tape on bottem of jig saw base as an extra prection, also on windshield. How do you like the air hawk :?:

 

[JKerstinJ]

The Air Hawk is wonderful. Some people don't like the price, but how much is a comfortable ride worth? It is also a lot less than a new seat and needs no break in period. And if you change bikes you keep the Air Hawk for the new one

 

[pauljo]

The Burgman will be used for touring, will cutting the windscreen be a mistake?

Possibly. At a certain screen height you could easily incur helmet buffeting and increased wind noise. Both can induce fatique on a long trip. There are always tradeoffs it seems with wind management. Experimentation is probably the only way to come up with the answer to this question.

Best advice is to cut a little off as others have noted. Then ride it for several days. A single ride often won't tell you the whole story. Ride some freeway, some backroads, some city streets if possible. Do that each time you make a change. And of course, try the modified screen both with and without your Air Hawk cushion.

OH, the problems of being vertically challanged :?

Yes, I can understand that. But being overly tall also has it's drawbacks - particularly with windscreens. I've never found a windscreen that was quite tall enough for me. The biggest Clearview was pretty close - but it was much too wide. Like you, I prefer feeling some wind on my body - I just don't want excessive wind noise and/or helmet buffeting. One year of ownership and I'm still experimenting. :?

 

[Wasquid]

I had a stock windscreen cut down four inches on Thursday. I took it to a glass shop here in town; I dropped it off in the morning and picked it up after work. They matched the curve of the top very well, and polished the newly cut edge. The new edge is not quite as finely polished as the original, but it's close.

This afternoon I took off my old screen and got the new one put on. It looks great. I sat on the scooter and like the effect of having less windscreen in my view.

We've had a lot of rain here due to Hurricanie Ivan, the streets are still sort of wet. I plan to ride tomorow if the creek don't rise. I'll let report back about riding with the short screen then.

 

[Wasquid]

Well, I could not wait for tomorow. I had to give the shortened screen a test today.

I rode the scooter in a variety of road conditions, stop and go in tight traffic near the mall, fifty to sixty on a beautiful twisty road, eighty or so on the interstate. My initial impression is not good. The buffeting, is gone. But, the tradeoff is significantly more wind force and noise than I had imagined.

I'll keep it on for a couple more days, but I think that it's back to stock for me.

 

[Sails]

Interesting, I tried mine with no wind screen at all and found the wind force/pressure increased but the wind noise went away. It was really quiet with out the wind screen.
I understand that a lot of the wind noise comes from wind passing under the helmet. That would explain my problems with the standard wind screen. You might want to try a different helmet and see if it helps with the noise as you seem to have solved the buffeting problem.
It is too bad that the darn things aren't adjustable. Could be that another inch is all some one needs but you have to replace the whole thing or cut it to gain that one inch.

 

[Burger Bob]

I modified my stock screen to make it adjustable by cutting it down by about 4" then reattached it using nylon fasteners in conjunction with slots I cut into each side. Now I use the screen without the upper part in hot weather, or with the attachment if it's cooler and if the weather should get nasty, I can raise the attached part higher. I prefer it lower most of the time, but as I've said before, I ALWAYS use earplugs, so I have no problem with noise. Works for me!

Cheers,

Bob. Oh, I'll try to post a few pics.

 

[bikinbiddy]

shorter screen

I purchased a shorter (by 3.5 inches) from Gustafsson for my 400, and had it installed during my last maintenance visit... I really like it (posted pics, tho hard to see difference).
For me, I MUCH prefer seeing over the screen - makes riding in rain and fog (which I find myself in more often than I'd like :? ), much better, with improved visibility. I don't notice a significant difference in wind buffetting, but I have a CL-Max flip-face helmet, which has A LOT of wind noise, anyway. I think I'll take the stock shield and have it cut down now, since I have a satisfactory replacement,and I know that I don't want to go back to the taller shield... Hand guards would be nice, tho!

 

[Sails]

Re: shorter screen

Hand guards would be nice, tho!

http://www.ronayers.com/catalogs/sga/type.cfm?secid=6

Should help you!